Katie Brown

I will never forget when I started my catering company and offered sweet and spicy peanuts as one of the gift items. I had to toss peanuts for days, but they were delicious! Although I don't suggest that you mix quite as many as I did in the early years of my career, I do suggest you toss a few of these delights for the occasion.

This pleasant, not-too-strong punch is perfect for a party. To keep the mixture cold without diluting it, use an ice block instead of regular ice cubes.

You thought chocolate was good? Try chocolate with cherries and pistachios. Heaven!

With a little planning, this addictive treat can be easily thrown together at the last minute. Infuse the honey up to 24 hours in advance and arrange the blue cheese on crackers several hours ahead of time. Then, just before serving, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with scallions.

Blue cheese can be tricky to cut into slices. Freezing will make it firmer and much easier to slice.

The white bean, sun-dried tomato, and Feta mixture can be prepared up to six hours in advance, but it's best to toast the bread at the last minute.

We've added an editor's note about broiling the chicken rather than grilling it.

If you use regular skewers without decorations, feel free to skewer the chicken before you place it on the grill.

The trick to these poppers is squeezing as much liquid out of the grated zucchini as possible. This helps create a firm but light batter that can be easily rolled into balls and fried.

With chocolate mousse this good and this easy, you can give your guests a delicious start to the new year!

Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted with permission from Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round. This recipe originally appeared with Brown's <epi:recipelink id="“350623”">Warm Blackberry Chutney</epi:recipelink>.

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Don't be intimidated by crostini: it's just toast in a tuxedo! This recipe is quick, portable, and requires only a few ingredients.

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Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown's Weekends. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

Focaccia is a porous, nonflaky but crusty bread from Italy. It is very "in" now due to the relative ease of preparation—and you can really put anything you want on it...it can be a whole meal!

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown's Weekends. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown's Weekends. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

I love an all-in-one dish!

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.